Etsy's Handmade Blog
Etsy Finds Vintage: Organize Your Crafting Space
Story by HeyMichelle
Published on January 3, 2009 in Spotlight 		Photo by

highstreetmarket

The New Year is the perfect time to do some organizing, and your crafting space is a great place to start. Since pre-fab shelving and storage from big box stores don't tend to inspire creativity, here are some vintage Etsy Finds to help you transform your space into an artist's retreat.

 

Vintage Stained Wooden Box

You'll need plenty of medium sized boxes to hold your supplies. I love this wooden one with a divider. From RiverBazaar, $12.

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Vintage 1980s Wooden Spice Rack Set

Spice racks are great for holding spools of thread or other small supplies. This one comes with the original bottles, which can hold buttons and other bits. From VintageUpButterCup, $18.

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Vintage 70's Wooden Owl Clip Magnet

Get a few cool clip magnets if you have a metal storage cabinet. You can use them for reminders or inspirational tear sheets. From MoonParade, $3.95.

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Rolodex Model No. SW-35 - Faux Bois and Tan Seventies Officeware

Yes, yes, I know you have all the phone numbers you need stored on your cell. Rolodexes can be used to store important info, like specs or instructions for the projects you're working on. From tigerluxe, $24.

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Vintage round coiled basket, woven

Pretty baskets are perfect for yarn. From highstreetmarket, $48.

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Spool and Bobbin Container

Save time spent hunting around for materials by having all of your bobbins in one spot. From kitchencupboard, $10.

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2 MEN VINTAGE TINS

You can never have too many tiny tins for beads, pins and other little things. From defdif, $7.50.

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Vintage Samsonite - Medium Suitcase, Mahogany colored

Large suitcases make for pretty and practical storage for oversized paper and patterns. From MysticLily, $35.

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vintage solid wood wall curio display shelf mahogany finish

Shelves are a must for saving floor and table space. From lulurecycles, $44.

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Looking for more vintage Finds? Try these Etsy links:

Vintage Category | Vintage Showcase | More Vintage Posts

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Tags crafting space, Etsy Finds, home office, new year, organizing, shopping, space, studio, vintage, workshop
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109 comments     Login to add your own!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 8:08 a.m. whiletheyplay

Oooooohhh!!! I want it ALL. :)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 8:21 a.m. spaceoddities

Fun finds!! I seriously need to get organized.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 8:31 a.m. elizabethwren

Wonderful finds, perhaps my inspiration to tackle my work space!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. britishcreamtea

ooo I love organisational items, I am a sucker for a box or basket ;)

I am off to look. I need to get more organised this year. My picnic basket just isn't big enough any more!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. BetaBoutique

i am in love...
with sewing needle holder. isn't it the cutest thing ever?

Jan. 3, 2009 at 8:59 a.m. TheCottageCheese

Great picks. That travel case is divine...

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. TashaHussey

very nice ! good idea

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. Lirola

great finds indeed!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:40 a.m. 1beadweaver

I'm always on the scout for vintage tin boxes to hold this and that. The collection looks great together and hids all the little bits.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:40 a.m. retrothreadz

Very unique selections I love them all

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:42 a.m. elizandaxel

Gorgeous finds!! What a wonderful idea.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:46 a.m. ribsmalone

lllloving the vintage finds!!! I love all of the vintage gems on Etsy!!!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:47 a.m. clevergirl

Cool list/article!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:48 a.m. BoroughLiving

Great organization/storage ideas. Thanks for including me!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 10:16 a.m. threepeats

There is something so compelling about old luggage.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 10:20 a.m. silverdotjewelry

great ideas. I love to store my beads in glass jars so I can see what's in there. I would totally use those spice jars and spice rack.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 10:21 a.m. PaddywackDesigns

Great tips! Thanks.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 10:22 a.m. fishlegs

Perfect picks! Every room needs a little vintage! (Or a lot!)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 10:33 a.m. mksupplies

Great finds! I have a vintage faux wood mail organizer like featured from bouquet's shop! It is very useful :)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 11:10 a.m. WozArtStudio

This will help with my on-going New Year's Resolution to get organized. Thanks for the inspiration.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 11:13 a.m. goodlookin

Nice items!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 11:18 a.m. enfantjoli

I love painting on old boxes and suitcases because you can never have too much stuff to hide away in them. Plastic just doesn't feel creative (unless its painted!).

Jan. 3, 2009 at 11:48 a.m. timesandchimes

Amazing, great, timely article! I want every single item featured and I'll pay whoever comes over to organize my work space!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 11:54 a.m. aegeansea

Much needed push for me to organize! Thanks & love the finds!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 11:59 a.m. LaireMarie

This is right up my alley!!!! I am in the middle of converting my extra bedroom into a workspace - love all of the tips!! :)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 12:18 p.m. biscuitbrigade

i seriously need to do some organizing too! thanks for the tips!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 12:29 p.m. nat1489

i need to organize my space ha

Jan. 3, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. LittleGreenSquirrel

Love it! Organizing vintage style! So much more flair and style than a plastic tub from W-mart! :-)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 12:51 p.m. nickandnessies

I'm sooooo in the mood to organize!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 1:26 p.m. ednamae

these are great!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 1:33 p.m. littlelettibug

They say, that clutter is just a sign that the person is being creative, I think this is true most of the time and I'm sure we "cluttered people" agrees, BUT being organized and have everything in place means you can even be more creative (now, that you can find your stuff), more productive and good for fengshui. What could be better time to do this than the New Year! Good article, neat stuff.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 1:41 p.m. KnitzAndFeltz

Organizing is a definite must on my agenda this year... I love that vintage round coiled basket!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 1:51 p.m. radarjenny

Oh so brilliant - I feel like my entire apartment is swamped with photos/beads/bits of wire/etc. These are such preeetty ways of cleaning up!!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 1:51 p.m. beachhouseblues

Great vintage items!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 1:52 p.m. thebestvintage

YEAH VINTAGE!!!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 1:53 p.m. waxandwool

OK, all of these great finds are having the exact opposite effect on me - instead of organizing, it makes me want to curl up with a cup of tea and knit!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 2:57 p.m. annamatrona

pretty pretty

Jan. 3, 2009 at 3:10 p.m. SEOWebDesign

Organizing my clutter sounds like a wonderful idea. Getting rid of some of my clutter sounds like an even better idea! I agree with the above comment, though, these are much better than plastic containers from Walmart or Target.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 3:13 p.m. washwhendirty

yummy!! i especially love those suitcases!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 3:16 p.m. christinececelia

Ha Ha! I stayed up until 4am last night orgnizing!! Cool picks!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 3:29 p.m. laralewis

i love the vintage sewing needle holder. so pretty!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. MysticLily

HeyMichelle! Great vintage storage ideas! I was wondering why my suitcases were getting SO many hits today, and then I found your great article! Thanks so much for including me! I too am inspired to get organized this New Year! Cheers!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 3:33 p.m. BabbidgePatch

Great vintage items!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 3:50 p.m. hearte

these are great! thank you for sharing. i need to get super organized.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 4:07 p.m. raegunfabric

oh yes it's tie to organize

Jan. 3, 2009 at 4:07 p.m. GreenEdenVintage

great article. I am about to move and thus currently obsessed with organizing, so I want those tins and the suitcases. :)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 4:22 p.m. SugarPlumFerret

So technically I can go buy a ton of gorgeous vintage stuff and claim it's all in the name of organization?! I LOVE IT!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 4:24 p.m. MetroGypsy

Wonderful vintage items!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 4:24 p.m. tigerluxe

these are some great tips for organization! i love all of these vintage finds...why buy new tupperware-ish things when you can get rad vintage??
thanks so much for including my shop.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 4:34 p.m. BluCille

Always a good idea.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 4:40 p.m. sillylittlelady

Those suitcases are divine!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 4:46 p.m. odiliafu

Great finds!!! Love them all.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 5:45 p.m. worksofwhimsy

Aww, I totally need that bobbin holder and it's already sold!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 6:28 p.m. bumblebina

I can think of great uses for all of these fun things!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 6:36 p.m. theemptyenvelope

Very nice! I love vintage storage:).

Jan. 3, 2009 at 6:44 p.m. alisastar

Being organized never looked so good!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 6:45 p.m. mydeepbluec

Great stuff..and a great reminder to get My STUFF together !! Thanks..Happy New Year !

Jan. 3, 2009 at 6:45 p.m. roundabout

My resolutions: First, organize the REST of the house which will Second, carve out some dedicated "studio" space for me!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 6:51 p.m. JoyandWhimsy

Great stuff!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 7:07 p.m. worksandfinds

Thank you. I'm working on it for past two days - I can't even move in my room anymore.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 7:15 p.m. IcingOnTheCupcake

Great choices!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 7:37 p.m. smilingbluedog

You're right, this is a good time to get organized!
Some great vintage ideas and inspirations!!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 7:39 p.m. JetWhitePonytail

I always use vintage luggage for storage---practical, nice to look at and easy to lug around if you're a nomad like me! Thanks for showing off this vintage :)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 7:59 p.m. BlackStar

Great finds! I love those tins.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 8:14 p.m. TheVintageButterfly

Ohhhh, you hit the vintage lover's favorite repurposing secret...using your creative eye to find a different use for a vintage piece.
Pottery, tins, baskets, tool boxes, jars, luggage, the possiblities are endless.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 8:16 p.m. NatashaDesigns

were do i start? lol nice picks :)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 9:21 p.m. PDXfabricdeli

Organizing....one of my favorite hobbies! Great little selection and clever too. :)

Jan. 3, 2009 at 10 p.m. lauratrevey

I love the tiny tins... I always need little "catch-alls" in every room!! The new year, time to get organized...

Jan. 3, 2009 at 10:52 p.m. RetroLane

the sewing needle holder is fantastic!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 10:54 p.m. PatternsAndSuch

I received this Etsy Finds by email and just had to come and see it when the views for that sewing needle holder suddenly jumped! Thanks for including it. :) I love vintage and wish I could keep everything I find! I love each of these pieces!!

Jan. 3, 2009 at 11:19 p.m. voleurdebijoux

i lovelove vintage!! :)

Jan. 4, 2009 at 12:27 a.m. CatherinetteRings

Excellent , This gave me an brilliant idea as to where to stash precious supplies , I really like the vintage tins .

Jan. 4, 2009 at 1:06 a.m. SparkleMe

Vintage is so inspiring! Thank you for this

Jan. 4, 2009 at 5:55 a.m. felicitycrew

Oh, I'm completely inspired by this article...

Jan. 4, 2009 at 8:01 a.m. azurejoy

<3 Vintage Samsonite <3

Jan. 4, 2009 at 8:26 a.m. elfcrafts

The old stuff is most times the best stuff. You should just see my husband and myself. Really this is great items and love the vintage sites on Etsy.

Jan. 4, 2009 at 8:50 a.m. kricketbee

great picks & very inspiring. :)
i too love to use vintage and recycled items to store my sewing/art/craft supplies.

Jan. 4, 2009 at 9:14 a.m. thegaudygoddess

i love love love these ideas! i'm so ready to rework my work space!

Jan. 4, 2009 at 10:47 a.m. AwApplesauce

These are lovely. I was just thinking about looking for some nice vintage baskets.

Jan. 4, 2009 at 11:28 a.m. ImSoVintage

SO nice to think outside the box for storage ideas. How about canisters, enamel pots, cups for pencil holders. and so much more.

Jan. 4, 2009 at 1:55 p.m. craftyfolk

good lord, how i need more functional pieces for organizing.

Jan. 4, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. bethanyscreations

As much as having cool vintage stuff to store things is awesome, it also can come at a higher price. I have found some functional, practical ways to store things even though they are the prettiest.

I crochet and I have found 10 gallon storage bins to be excellent for a variety of things. 1)to store yarn 2)to store made items. Rezippable plastic bags are awesome too! I know that it is plastic, and plastic isn't good for the environment, but plastic is sometimes better than cloth 1)because you can see through it, and 2)because you can zip it. I use mine several times to hold and transport projects to keep everything clean and dry. They're nice because I can keep the yarn together, in one space, and throw a ton of those bags in a big bin. Now, this doesn't work when making blankets, but for hats, dishcloths, and slippers, the gallon size tends to work well. I get the freezer ones for extra thickness.

Also, for those of you who bead, sew, embroider, etc, those hardware containers for screws, nut, and bolts with those pull out trays will work great. I plan to get one for the odds and ends of beads, buttons, embroidery floss, etc.

I know these three tips are pretty, but boy are they useful! And inexpensive too!

Jan. 4, 2009 at 2:09 p.m. bethanyscreations

Sorry, I meant to say "are *not* the prettiest." Sorry!

Jan. 4, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. squarejane

i use old suit cases because they look good all stacked up... inside they hold wool and fabrics.

my absolute FAVORITE vintage storage for my crafting goods is a 50's refrigerator in my dining area. it's not plugged in but it holds so much stuff. some of my books, extra fabric and all of my beads and inks live in there in the happy pinkness of its big metal interior... safely out of reach of the children's hands as it is very tough to open.

[ j ]

Jan. 4, 2009 at 3:03 p.m. lsad

Great ideas, I love reusing vintage its nice to be around and organizes my stuff. Nice Job!

Jan. 4, 2009 at 3:33 p.m. wingnyc

wow, what a great collection! I would buy almost all of these. If only I could. (sigh)

Jan. 4, 2009 at 3:56 p.m. ElsiesAttic

This is a great article. Thanks for showing us some Vintage lovin!!!! You rock HeyMichelle!!!!!

Lora:)

Jan. 4, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. southerngirls

I spent two days reorganizing my crafts thanks to your article. Great start for the new year.

Jan. 4, 2009 at 7:44 p.m. southernladysvintage

Great article HeyMichelle!! Thanks for the vintage love!

Jan. 4, 2009 at 8:48 p.m. dahlilafound

Vintage storage. Fabulous, and so much prettier than big plastic boxes. Love those tins too. dahlila

Jan. 4, 2009 at 9:02 p.m. loveydovey

Cool treasury and article. If anybody wants a vintage rolodex like the one that sold, I have a black one brand new in box.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...

Jan. 4, 2009 at 10:31 p.m. RamonasClutter

Love all of these ideas. That wooden sewing container is one of my favorites. Thanks for the wonderful ideas!

Jan. 4, 2009 at 11:32 p.m. alfalfalovesme

Super smart! I love the suitcases!

Jan. 5, 2009 at 12:09 a.m. AquaVelvet

such a great theme! and so pleased for my vintage file box to be included in this organized line-up! thank you, Michelle! :~)

Jan. 5, 2009 at 2:43 a.m. UglyBaby

Organizing! What a concept. I'll have to think about trying it.

Jan. 5, 2009 at 7:17 a.m. theaxx

oh man. these features are staring to be very bad for my wallet...

Jan. 5, 2009 at 7:34 a.m. iwearitnatural

Who would have thought the old would be the new.

Jan. 5, 2009 at 9:02 a.m. yourcreativeoutlet

Great Items, Thanks!!!

Jan. 5, 2009 at 10:26 a.m. Atticgoods

Thanks for great ideas!

Jan. 5, 2009 at 11:14 a.m. GemmaBeads

looks like you've been taking pictures of my things! I love my vintage suitcases and tins for storage. So much nicer than generic plastic.

Jan. 5, 2009 at 12:17 p.m. MiniatureRhino

i wanted that rolodex...damn!

Jan. 5, 2009 at 12:43 p.m. stefanivance

Great ideas! I use baskets, and vintage trunks I found from thrift shops! They make great storage spaces for my polymer clay and supplies, as well as art reference books!

Jan. 5, 2009 at 2:33 p.m. saintNICHOLAStoo

Organized? Never heard of it! Ha!

Great items for storage.

Jan. 5, 2009 at 11:55 p.m. autumnsanticsstore

Organization is one of my top priorities for the new year. Thanks for the ideas!

Jan. 6, 2009 at 3:03 a.m. Iammie

nice stuffs

Jan. 6, 2009 at 12:43 p.m. HeyMichelle

Thanks for the great comments, guys! I just recently reorganized *my* crafting area, with lots of vintage and thrift finds. It feels great to be organized!

Jan. 7, 2009 at 12:59 p.m. Planetpollyanna

Ah yes, to be organized, that is the goal and the quest. The vintage finds are dreamy and are a much cooler choice than plastic boxes. One note, if you store papers or fabrics in a wooden container be sure to first place a cotton sheet inside the container and then your stuff. This prevents acids from the wood from discoloring your stored treasures.
Oh to be organized!

Jan. 8, 2009 at 5 p.m. ParadisePotpourri

Organize? I'm off to find a dictionary....
:p

Oct. 18, 2009 at 8 p.m. LondonParticulars

Vintage suitcases are the best, I keep my stash of shipping supplies in them and they look great!

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